Uber wants to turn its users’ phones into what?

In a bid to make itself “the safest transportation platform on the planet,” in the words of CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber has announced a couple of new safety features, including a method for detecting crashes.

“Ride Check” takes advantage of the army of sensors built into modern smartphones, such as the accelerometer, gyroscope and GPS, to determine if the car has been in an accident. The rider will then be prompted to answer a series of questions through their Uber app to confirm if a crash has occurred. If so, the app will inform them to call 911.

In addition to accidents, Ride Check can detect if the car has been stopped for an unusual period of time. Riders will again be asked to answer questions on their status through the app, which will then give them options that include calling 911.